Tank structure



Jan. 19, 19375 F. G. THWAIT$ TANK STRUCTURE Filed May 31, 1934 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 19,1931

Frederick G. Thwaits, Wauwatosa, Wis., assigno to The Hell 00., Milwaukee, Wis., a. corporation of Wisconsin Application May 31, 1934, Serial No. 728,350

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in the construction of fluid storage and transporting receptacles associated with cartage vehicles.

Generally defined, an object of the invention is to provide an improved vehicle tank structure I which ofiers minimum obstruction to the prog-' :ess of the vehicle, and the interiorof which is conveniently accessible.

It has heretoforebeen proposed, as shown and described in copending application Serial No.

699,662, filed November 25,

1933, to obviate bjectionable outward projection of the manholes V and closures in vehicle tank ing each manhole structure structures by disposin a recess at the top of the tank and by placing a concealing walk with readily removable cover sections over the top of the series of recesses. prior tank structure extends longitudinally of The walk of this able cover portions.

While this prior manhole and walk assemblage is relatively satisfactory, it

is also quite complicated and the manhole closures are not as conveniently accessible 'for manipulation as might be desired,

The present invention therefore contemplates v provision of an improved concealing walk structure for tanks having one or more manhole and closurestherefor at the top, whereby the manhole closures are made more readily accessible and manipulable.

In accordance with the improvement, the cover sections of the walk are caused to swing about pivots extending transversely of the direction of extent of the walk as a whole; and these pivoted cover sections may each be formed of 'a single piece properly supported to tion thereof.

resist inward distorsimilar parts in the various Fig. 1 is a side elevation views. of a motor-propelled tank truck having streamline contour;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top view of a fragment of the tank structure of the vehicle shown in 1; Fig. 3 is a further enlar ed transverse section thru one of the manholes of the tank, the section being taken along the line 3-3of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a still further enlarged longitudinal section thru the manhole portion of the. tank,

taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. 5 'Altho the, invention has been specifically disclosed herein as being applied to a tank truck especially adapted for the storage and transportation of liquid such as oil, it is not intended to.

unnecessarily limit the scope by such specific.

disclosure.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, the streamlined, motor-driven vehicle comprisesa chassis 5 mounted upon wheels 6, some or all of which may be driven by an engine located near the' cab 'I at the front portion of the chassis 5. The receptacle or tank 8, which is of the multiple compartment type, is carried by the chassis 5 rearwardly of the driver's cab land is ordinarily of elliptical, transverse cross-section. The several compartments of the tank 8 are provided with the usual. fluid dispensing conduits at the lower portions thereof, these conduits being accessible either thru a rear housing 9 or thru side housings Hi for the purpose of effecting withdrawal of liquid from the tank 8. g

The upper portion of the tank 8, adjacent. to the top of each of the individual tank compartments, is provided with a recess H within which is located a manhole l2 and a removable closure i3 therefor. The several recesses Il may be formedg either as shown herein or as a continuous trough extending thruout the length of the top of the tank, as shown in my copending application hereinabove-referred to; and the individual manhole closures l3 are carried by levers. ll swingable about pivots 15 and adapted to be locked in closed position by latches I 6. These pivots l5 are disposed longitudinally of the tank 8, and when the manhole closures i3 are, inj closed positio the levers ll are located within the recesses II and below the top of the tank.

- A walk I! is provided along the top of the tank, 8, and this walk I] comprises removable cover. sections i8 located one above each of the recesses H. Each of the cover sections. I8 is formedas shown in Figs. 2-4 inclusive, and is swingable about horizontal pivots l9 mounted upon the tank 8 and coasting with bent side brackets 20 secured to the cover section l8. The pivots 19 extend transversely of the walk l1, and the cover sections l8, when closed, are adapted to coact with stop plates 2 l as shown in Fig. 4, which hold them in alinement with the fixed sections of the walk.

The brackets 20 are provided with cars 22 which are attached by means of pivot pins 23 to the swinging ends of the toggle rods 24, and the opposite ends of these rods 24 are slidable thru elliptical openings in guides 25 which are fixedly attached to the top of the tank 8 There are two of these rods 24co'operable with each cover section 18, and each rod 24 has a collar 26 fixed to the medial portion thereof and a semi-cylindrical block 21 slidably embracing the same and coacting with the corresponding guide 25. A compression spring 28 embraces each rod 24 and coacts with the adjacent collar 26 and block 21, and these springs 28 function to keep the cover sections IS in both open and closed position, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

During normal use of the improved tank truck and while themotor vehicle is being propelled along the ground, the removable covers l8 of the walk I! are closed; and the structure appears as shown in Fig.1. The vehicle may then be transported from place to place with minimum obstruction to the progress thereof, in view of the fact that the walk I] extends longitudinally of the tank and in the normal direction of travel of the vehicle. The several compartments of the tank 8 may be filled with suitable grades of, liquid thru their respective manhole openings I2 by merely lifting the cover sections I8 of the walk II. This walk l'l permits convenient access to the cover sections l8, and the walk may, if desired, be provided with side rails and with an end lad- .der, in an obvious manner.

When a cover section l8 of the walk is closed, as shown'in full lines in Figs. 3 and 4, the manhole closure 13 is also closed and is locked in sealed condition'by the 1everl4 and latch l8 .thereof. The spring 28 then functions to press against the collars 26 and the blocks'2'l to hold the cover l8 against the stop plate 2|. As the cover 18 is swung about its pivots l9 during opening thereof, the springs 28 are initially compressed until the pins 23, connecting the rods 24 with the ears 22, are swung past the position of alinementof the rods and ears, whereupon the springs 24 again expand to force the cover section I 8 into substantially vertical position, as shown in dot-and-dash lines inv Fig. 4. The end of the cover section nearest its pivots l 9 will then coact with the adjacent fixed portion of the walk l1, and the springs 28 will hold thecover section l8 in such open position. It will therefore'be apparent that the rods 24 and ears 22 provide a toggle for holding the cover section III either in closed or open position, the springs 28 serving to actuate these toggles.

By mounting the cover sections l8 for swinging movement longitudinally of the tank 8, a single cover section l8 may be utilized as a closure for each recess II; and the manhole closures l3 are more readily accessible than when several cover sections are utilized to conceal each manhole I closing mechanism. The cover sections l8 are,

moreover, curved transversely of the vehicle and cooperate with the stop plates 2| so as to resist inward distortion or bending of these. cover sections. The use of a single set of toggle mechanisms for each cover section l8 also simplifies the mechanism, and the bent portions of the brackets 20 provide for proper clearance between these brackets and the adjacent fixed portions of the walk II. The cover sections I8 may be readily manhole closures illustrated. are of relatively standard construction.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the present invention to the exact details of construction and to the precise mode of operation herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination, a tank having an upper opening, a closure for said opening pivotally supported to swing transversely of said tank, and an upwardly curved walk extending along the top of said tank and having an upwardly curved pivoted section disposed above said closure, said pivoted section being mounted to swing longitudinally of said tank and having one end curved to coact with a substantial portion of the upwardly curved adjacent part'of the walk when.said pivoted section is swung open.

2. In combination, a tank having an upper opening, a closure for said opening, and an upwardly curved walk extending along the top of saidtank and having a pivoted section disposed over said closure, said pivoted section being mounted to swing longitudinally of said tank and having its pivot end curved to conform and coact with a substantial portion of the upwardly curved adjacent part of the walk when said pivoted section is swung open. I

3. In combination, a tankihaving an upper opening, and an upwardly curved walk extending along the top of said tank and having an upward-'- ly curved pivoted section disposed above saidopening, said pivoted section being mounted to swing longitudinally of said tank and having one end curved to contact alongsubstantially its'en tire end edge with the upwardly curved adjacent upper surface of the walk when said pivoted sec tion is swung open.

4. In combination, a tank having an upper opening, and a laterally curved walk extending along the top of said tank and having a similarly laterally curved pivoted section disposed above said opening, said pivoted section being mounted to swing about an axis extending across said tank and having one end curved to contact along sub- .stantially its entire end edge with the laterally curved adjacent upper surface of the walk when saidpivoted section is swungto fully opened position.

5: In combination; a tank having an upperopening, and a walk having a curved up er surface extending'along the top of said tank and having a pivoted section disposed above said opening, said pivoted sectionbeing mounted to swing longitudinally of the walk and having the end thereof nearest its pivot curved to coact with the curved upper walk surface throughout substantially the entire width of the latter when said pivoted section is swung to fully opened position.

6. In combination, a tank having an upper opening, and a walk having a laterally curved upper surface extending along the top of said tank and havinga pivoted closure section mounted to swing longitudinally of the walk and over said opening, said section having its pivoted end curved to contact substantially its entire end edge with said curved upper walk-surface when said section is fully opened and having its opposite end positively positioned in alinement with the adjacent walk portion when closed.

. F. G. 'I'HWAI'I'S. 

